THE IMAGE OF THE HOMELAND – A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE POEMS “RODINA” BY NIKOLAY LILIEV AND «H ΠΟΛΙΣ» (“THE CITY”) BY KONSTANTINOS KAVAFIS

Abstract

The article examines early twentieth-century Bulgarian and Greek poetry through a comparative perspective, focusing on Homeland by Nikolay Liliev and The City by Constantine Cavafy. It explores how symbolism and modernism respond to the social and cultural transformations of the period through themes such as identity, memory, belonging, and the search for meaning. The study highlights both aesthetic and philosophical differences between the two poets. Liliev presents the homeland as a spiritual and timeless refuge shaped by Symbolist ideals, whereas Cavafy portrays the individual’s inability to escape the past and their personal destiny. Despite their different artistic approaches, both poets express the existential anxieties of the twentieth century and reveal the connection between personal consciousness, collective memory, and historical experience.